Game apparatus.



No. 746,364. PATENTED DEC. s, 1903. J. A. MQKENZIE, GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1903.,

' N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES IN VEN T0 Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT Fries.

JOSEPH A. MCKENZIE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,364, dated December 8, 1903. Application filed September 1,1903. Serial No. 171,494. (No model.)

T on whom it may concern;

Beitknown that I, J OSEPH A. MoKENzIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Game Apparatus, of which i the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to game apparatus; and the object thereof is to provide improved means for setting or spotting the pins in a game of tenpins, whereby the pins may he quickly and exactly placed, a further object being to provide means or devices for accomplishing this object which may be applied either to an ordinary tenpin-alley or to tenpi nalley tables or similar devices by means of which a game of tenpins may be played in a parlor, caf, saloon, or other places where game apparatus of this class are usually to be found. I

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters'in each of the views, and in which- Figure l is a sectional end view of the rear end of a tenpin-alley provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a sectional plan view, part of the hallway being broken away; and Fig. 4:, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at a the hallway of a tenpin-alley, at the opposite sides of which are the gutters a and at the rear end of which is the ordinary pit a part of which is shown in Fig. 3. At the opposite sides of the alley and inclosing the sides of the pit are the usual upright buffers a and all these parts may he-of the usual or any preferred construction.

In the practice of my invention I form heneath the pin-space at the rear end of the hallway a chamber 0, having a bottom 0 in which, in the form of construction shown, are secured upright posts (1, which equal in nu mber the pins e and are placed directly be neath the position occupied by said pins when properly positioned on the hallway or pinspace at the rear end thereof. The hallway or that part thereof known as the pin-space is provided with a plurality of circular openingsf, which equal in number the pins employed and which are formed at the exact pointswhere in practice the pins are spotted or placed.

Beneath the pin-space of the ballway'and transversely of the chamber 0 and near the front wall 0 of said chamber is a shaft 9, mounted in bearings g and provided near its opposite ends with cam-arms g and forwardly of the shaft gis another transverse shaft h, mounted in bearings h and provided with cam-arms it? Directly over the shafts g and h and within the top portion of the chamber 0 is placed a vertically-movable plate, frame, or support 2, with the top of which is connected in any desired manner cylindrical plugs 71 which equal in number the pins 6 and the holes or openings f in the pin-space of the hallway and which are free to move vertically in said holes or openings. The posts d pass vertically through the support 'iand serve as a guide therefor, and said posts also pass vertically'through the plugs t and the pins 6 are preferably provided in the bottoms thereof with a recess e and in the form of construc tion shown the upper ends of the posts cl when the support dis in its lowest position projects slightly above the plugs 2' and 'are adapted to enter the recesses e in the bottom of the pins 6 when the latter are placed in position.

In the form of construction shown the gut ter a at one side of the alley is provided with a longitudinal slot of, and secured to the end of the shaft 9 is a leverj, which passes upwardly through said slot of, and secured to the corresponding end of the shaft his a crank 70, which is connected, by means of a rod k with an arm j on the leverj.

The rear end portion of the plate, frame, or support 2' is provided at its opposite sides with projecting bearings m, and the front end portion thereof with corresponding bearings m and when the leverjis pulled backwardly into the position shown in- Fig. 2 the camarms 9 and h on the shafts g and h operate, in connection with the hearings m and m to raise the plate, frame, or support 03, and in this operation said plate, frame, or support is raised until it strikes the bottom of the ballway or the pin-space thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, and in this position of said support the tops of the plugs t are exactly flush with the surface of the hallway a, as is also shown in said figure.

In practice when it is desired to spot or place the pins 6 the leverj is swung into the position shown in Fig. 1. The pins 6 may then be quickly placed in position, as indicated in said figure, in which the bottoms of said pins are set into the holes or openings f and rest on the plugs '6 and this operation may be quickly and easily accomplished without the exercise of the care necessary to properly place the pins under ordinary circumstances. When the pins have been placed as indicated in Fig. 1, the leverj is drawn backwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, and the pins are raised into the positionshown in said figure, and the plugs i are exactly flush with the top surface of the pin-space.

The object of forming the recesses e in the bottom of the pins e and correspondingly extending the upper ends of the posts d, so as to enter said recesses when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, is to aidin steadying the pins when they are dropped into position; but this construction is not absolutely necessary, as the apparatus will work substantially in the manner herein described if the posts (1 are not long enough to project above the tops of the plugs '6 when the latter are in their lowest position.

It will be observed that when the leverj is in the position shown in Fig. l the plate, frame, or support 't' rests on the heads of the cam-arms g and 71 through which the shafts g and it pass, and when the leverj is drawn backwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 the said plate, frame, or support rests on the curved end portions of said arms, and, if necessary, means may be provided for holding the leverj against accidental movement, when in the position shown in Fig. 2, and this.

result can be accomplished, if necessary, by simply weighting said lever. It will be obcombination and arrangement of the various parts thereof as herein shown and described, and various changes in and modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A game apparatus of the tenpin class, the pin-space of which is provided with holes or openings, a verticallymovable support mounted beneath the pin-space and provided with plugs movable in said holes or openings, stationary guides which pass vertically through said support and through said plugs and means for raising and lowering said support consisting of shafts mounted transversely beneath the same and provided with camarms which operate in connection therewith and a lever connected with one of said shafts and in operative connection with the other, substantially as shown and described.

. 2. A game apparatus of the tenpin class, the pin-space of which is provided with holes or openings, a vertically-movable support mounted beneath the pin-space and provided with plugs movable in said holes or openings, stationary guides which pass vertically through said support and through said plugs and the upper ends of which project slightly above said plugs when said support is in its lowest position, and means for raising and lowering said support consisting of shafts mounted transversely beneath the same and provided with cam-arms which operate in connection therewith, and a lever connected with one of said shafts and in operative connection with the other, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 31st day of August, 1903.

JOSEPH A. MCKENZIE.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, O. E. MULREANY. 

